5 Common Home Selling Mistakes To Avoid

Selling your home is a big decision and can be a difficult process. But to get the most out of your home it pays to be detailed and do everything right. If you can avoid these common home selling mistakes, you’ll increase your chances for a smooth, fast, and lucrative transaction.

Not Hiring a Realtor® or Choosing the Wrong Realtor®

Working with an experienced real estate professional can make all the difference when selling your home. When you pick the right broker they will provide support, advice, resources, and an extensive professional network that you would not have access to otherwise. From preparation and paperwork to marketing and open houses, an experienced professional will help alleviate much of the stress that goes into selling a home.

But not all agents are created equal. Instead of choosing a Realtor who is a friend or a family member, take time to pick someone with an excellent track record for listing homes. It will payoff to find a broker with local market knowledge and sales expertise.

Incorrectly Pricing Your Home

Pricing is the most important decision of the selling process, and will have the biggest influence on your sales outcome. If you have hired the right realtor who can analyze the market and determine a reasonable price, then you can avoid incorrectly pricing your home.

Overpricing is one of the biggest home selling mistakes you can make when listing their home. It can lead to more days on the market, which can potentially effect the final sales price. If you base your price on an over-inflated view of your home, rather than listening to your listing agent, you may end up dropping the price multiple times before finally selling.

Using Bad Photography

Your home needs to show its best in person, as well as in listing photography and marketing materials. With over 90% of potential buyers starting their home search online, listing photography is often the first impression they have of your home. Therefore, professionally shot and staged property photos should be an essential part of your marketing plan. Poor photography or photos taken on a camera phone will only serve to create a bad first impression. And you may not ever get a second chance to make the perfect impact.

Skipping Necessary Prep Work

Once you make the decision to sell, it’s easy to want to jump the gun and get your house on the market right away. However, selling your home is no small task. You’ll want to take your time and make sure your home is prepared to sell before going on the market. Sweat the small stuff because even small cosmetic issues can be a red flag for buyers. Chipping paint, stained carpet, and water marks can all be signs of larger issues.

That means painting, decluttering, making repairs, cleaning up your landscaping, and staging are all going to be crucial prep work. These steps may seem small but they can have a big effect on the value of your home – especially in a competitive market.

Being Present for Showings and Open Houses

Showing your home to a potential buyer is the one time during the selling process you should be completely hands-off. Buyers want to be able to visualize themselves and their families in your home. Being there at the same time as a buyer could create an awkward situation. They may feel like they are intruding, being rushed, or inhibited by your presence. Pack away your personal affects, take down the family photos, and whatever you do don’t linger around during a showing.

Mara Calomino

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